掩护
yǎn hù · HSK 7
to shield
🛡️ 掩 cover + 护 protect = cover-and-protect, like troops giving covering fire
掩 means to cover or conceal; 护 means to guard or protect. Together they mean to shield someone, especially the military sense of giving cover so an ally can move safely.
护 — speech radical 讠 + 户 (door/household)
Originally written 護, combining the speech radical 言 with the phonetic 蒦. The simplified form 护 replaces the right side with 户 (door/household), suggesting guarding a home. The core meaning has long been 'to protect, defend, or shield.'